One Last Flight
by Carolinasandstorm94
Summary: Pinkamena Diane Pie... professional weatherwoman She was not always destined to go down this career path, but a traumatic experience from her childhood lit the fire of becoming a storm chaser, and she took great pride in what she did. Now, with the outbreak of the century happening and an old lover returning, things are going to get interesting. Based on the 1996 movie Twister
1. Winds of Change

_-20 years ago-_

For Pinkamena Diane Pie, it was an utterly normal day. She shielded her eyes as she scanned the skies, for what, she did not know. Her arms, unusual for a girl of her class, rippled with slender, yet iron muscle. Once, when she had gotten used to walking, her father had brought her out to move a small pile of rocks; they were little more than pebbles and she'd needed help that day. Now eight years old, those same rocks posed little more than a warm up for her. While not readily apparent, her strength was such she'd easily picked up a bully by the scruff of their shirt during recess, earning her the nickname "Dynamo Diane."

She was in the middle of clearing out the east fields when her father, and farm owner, Igneous Pie came rolling up in his pickup. By this time some high, light grey clouds had begun to roll in, accompanied by a light breeze starting to blow made Pinkamena know a storm was going to come up. It was then Pinkamena knew what had caused her earlier apprehension, because she felt this was going to be a gullywasher at the very least.

"Nice work Pinkamena," Igneous said as he scooped his daughter up in a tight hug. "You never cease to amaze me with how strong you are getting. As a reward for all your hard work, and your good grades, I have bought something that I know you will like."

"Oh?" Pinkamena asked looking at her father as she brushed some of her long, dark pink hair from out of her vision. "You didn't have to do that dad…"

"I know my little Dynamo," Igneous chuckled at his daughter's reaction to him using her schoolyard nickname, the look of shock making him smile more. "You honestly think I don't get phone calls from the principal every time you have a fight? Seeing as you only target bullies, that is the _only_ reason why I never punish you. Now for your gift…"

Igneous walked his little girl back over to his truck and opened the passenger door. When he did, a Yorkshire Terrier looked up at Pinkamena with an adorable expression as its tail happily wagged. Pinkamena cutely squealed as she picked up the two toned Yorkie and held it, the dog giving its own form of puppy kisses by licking Pinkamena's face repeatedly, making her giggle.

"His name is Otto," Igneous said as he helped Pinkamena and her pet into his truck. Once he made sure that they were secure, he climbed into the cab of his rusty, trusty F100 and started it up. The shocks were worn out from the heavy loads over the years, so every bump felt like a bucking bronco as they carefully made their way back towards their home. As they did, both father and daughter noticed the sky darkening to the point it looked angry.

With the farm spanning five acres in every direction, and being relatively flat, it was easy to see anything coming on the horizon no matter which way you looked. Glancing towards the southwest, the clouds seemed to billow, swirl, and thicken as a sickly green started to advance across the sky. Deep down, both Pies knew that could only mean one thing; a supercell was in the process of forming, and with it the chance of a tornado.

"That does not look good, dad…" Pinkamena said with obvious worry in her voice as the clouds continued to grow and approach. By this point, the dust in the fields was being kicked up into mini dust devils, each causing Otto to bark and the ride just that more tricky as Pinkamena door again. "Think we will get a tornado out of that or will it miss?"

Igneous paused for a moment while he carefully considered how he would answer, and to avoid a rather large hole that nearly swallowed the right rear tire. "I hate to say it, but it looks like it is coming this way… and it could be bad. Listen to me carefully, grab only what you need and meet me, your sisters, and your mom in the living room. We will head there together to ride this out ok?"

"Ok daddy…" Pinkamena replied as she held Otto close for comfort. By the time they reached the house, rain had started falling in thick sheets, and hard enough Pinkamena was soaked just covering the ten feet from the truck to the porch. Her mother Cloudy Quartz was standing in front of the television with the other Pie sisters, whose names were Marble, Maud, and Limestone, as the weather alert blared:

 *****THE NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER IN CLOUDSDALE HAS ISSUED A ***TORNADO WARNING*** IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: APPLELOOSA. PINEVILLE. ROCKVILLE. UNTIL 0459PM LOCAL TIME. ***AT 0447PM, DOPPLER RADAR PICKED UP ON A FUNNEL LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF APPLELOOSA AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35MPH. RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREA ARE URGED TO TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY AS A LIFE THREATENING TORNADO IS IN THE VICINITY, SOFTBALL SIZED HAIL AND FLOODING RAINS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM*****

 **Forecaster Windy Whistles**

Just as if someone had called upon the devil, the winds and rain reached a fevered pitch. In addition, the unmistakable beat of bouncing hail on the tin roof made Pinkamena's ears hurt to the point she had to cover them as she bolted to her room.

She know she was against the clock, and with a tornado approaching and the rest of her family waiting, she grabbed the most cherished thing that she could not live without. There, sitting on her bed, was her plush alligator Gummy. Where she had gotten it slipped her mind, for now, due to the flood of adrenaline that was coursing through her body.

Grabbing the plush and running back to the living room, she saw that her sisters already had their item of choice and their rain gear on. Her own rain jacket became a struggle, because the front door had blown in from a strong gust and battered them with a cold, stinging rain.

Time seemed to freeze for Pinkamena as she looked around, and realized that her dad and sisters had already taken off to the shelter. She tried to move, but no matter how hard she tried she seemed to be cemented to the spot she stood. Dark thoughts started to cloud her mind, even with her family being regular church goers, she was scared that the fact that she might die so young. Before she succumbed to the void, however, she was saved by hearing her mother calling for her.

"Pinkamena!" Cloudy Quartz had to yell to be heard over the winds that were increasing by the minute, but she knew her daughter had heard her when the terrified girl turned to her mother. "Come on, we have to get to the shelter!"

"I-I can't move mom!" Pinkamena said as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I am too scared…"

A mother's instinct is one of the strongest things in existence. They always knew when their little ones were in danger, and when those moments hit they unlock almost-superhuman strength to protect their cherished miracles. Even if the mother lost her life in the process, they feel like it was well worth the sacrifice knowing that she had ensured a long and healthy life for their child. This was one of those times, as in one strong motion, Cloudy picked up both Pinkamena and Otto.

Cloudy's toned arm muscles, built and sculpted from a long, hard life on the farm, did not feel the new weight upon them. The pounding rain tried to slow her down as her visibility was reduced to near zero, but she knew how far she had to go as she fought on. It seemed like it took forever to reach their goal, but when they got there Igneous opened the door for them and they climbed down inside.

The shelter itself was twenty foot square, reinforced and designed in a way that minimized the suction effect in the event the door got blown off. As Igneous led his family to the furthest corner of the shelter, they heard it.

It started low and off in the distance, like the faintest whistle of the midnight train, before quickly building. The shelter, even with it being underground, shook as the sound of a powerful locomotive driven by howling demons thundered in their ears and heads. Nobody could talk, and even if they could they would not be heard as the door started to rattle.

Igneous kissed his wife and daughters before climbing up to where the door was. Being a bit curious, he looked out the bulletproof window and saw nothing but a swirling, solid black wall approaching.

" _That is an F5…_ " Igneous thought as he saw his barn get engulfed. Running downstairs to the others, he gave them all one last hug. "I'm going to try and keep the door shut, no matter what happens, just remember I love you all."

Cold fear set in as each of them got the meaning of his words. Each of the girls tried to jump up and run to her father, only to be stopped by Cloudy Quartz holding on to them. Pinkamena, despite being the second youngest, was able to wiggle her way free and bolt to the base of the she did, she saw the void of no return break open the door and carry her father away.

" **NOOOOO!** " Pinkamena screamed as she was sucked under the metal staircase, which was her only saving grace from sharing the same fate as her father. As quick as it came, it left, the suction decreasing to the point that Pinkamena could freely move. The moment she heard the winds diminish, she ran outside, and the sight frightened her.

The house, truck, and every structure that has been standing were now gone, carried away in the vortex and only the house foundation remained. Rocks from the fields were now scattered around, each landing with a hard enough force to cause an impact crater. To Pinkamena, however, none of those things mattered as she let the rain beat down on her as she dropped to her knees.

The darkness from earlier returned thricefold, and unlike last time, Pinkamena willingly gave in to it. The stronghold that had been keeping her family together had fallen, and she knew it was only a matter of time before her more greedy relatives would descend on the farm to try and force her, her mom, and sisters out all in the name of profit. She was so wrapped up in her personal pit of despair that she did not feel her mother tightly hugging her as she was picked back up and carried down the stairs.

 _"Hush Pinkamena don't you cry,  
momma's here with her lullaby.  
Giggle at the ghosties and chase them away,  
for that is a fight for another day._

 _I know that in your current state,_  
 _your heavy heart can't take the weight._  
 _But momma's gonna to bring you cheer,_  
 _for I always will love you my dear._ "

Cloudy Quartz kept softly singing to Pinkamena, gently rocking the sobbing girl in her arms until she fell asleep. She was hurt herself at the fact her husband was dead, and said a silent prayer for his soul, but she would mourn later. She knew she had to be strong for her girls, and that took top priority.

As for Pinkamena, the last thing she promised herself before falling asleep was to never let a tornado take another person that she held close to her heart. It also meant to give others more warning, or a better warning, so that no one would feel the pain she was feeling now.. It was a promise she swore to uphold and carry out... even if it killed her in the process. From that moment, she knew what she wanted to be in life. She no longer wanted to carry on the family tradition at the rock farm, no…

… she wanted to be a weatherwoman.


	2. New Faces, Old Memories

_-present day, 25 miles west of Eldorado, Texas-_

It was a perfect day for a drive. The temperature was just right, a few stray cumulonimbus clouds dotted the sky, while a light breeze elegantly made the wheat in the fields dance in place. Amongst the peaceful scene, a solitary Ford-F450 drove along with its driver having only one goal in sight. The driver's name was Rainbow Dash, newly appointed Chief Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Dallas, and she was heading to finalize a few loose ends.

"You sure you are up for this, hun?" A tan skinned woman with lavender hair asked from the passenger seat as Rainbow drove along, her eyes locked on a seemingly invisible point on the horizon. "It took you months to get over the break up, and I think it would be in your best interests if we just head on to El Paso for our wedding."

Rainbow shook her head, parting a few strands of her natural rainbow colored hair, which made everyone new she met surprised with the fact she was born with it. "No Twilight, I owe it to her to have one last meeting before we start our married lives together. After all, teaming with her gave me my first big break in the field and I want to personally thank her. Even you know that is the right thing to do, and you would do the same thing if the roles were reversed."

Twilight sighed before leaning her head over, and looking out the window at the rolling waves of wheat going by. "Yeah, I would, but if at any point you start feeling uncomfortable, we leave. Remember, we only have two weeks off before we have to head back to HQ and start working on the long range weather forecasting system."

"Yeah…" Rainbow said with a sigh, as she pulled into an empty field that had several parked vehicles, each with various equipment attached to them. "I am going to miss being on the road as a chaser, just feeling the changes in the atmosphere you know? Looking for the next big storm while clearing out those in a twister's path to ensure no lives a lost."

Twilight put a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "When we first met you always said you were tune with the weather, so you probably feel like part of you is going to be left behind. However look at what you will be doing instead, making sure that forecasters have enhanced storm imaging further out in time, you should feel proud of yourself."

"I do," Rainbow said parking and shutting off her truck. "anyways we are here. Pinks said she had a surprise for me so that is why I agreed to a face-to-face, kill two birds with one stone."

"I hope you know what you are doing," Twilight said with apprehension as they approached the cars, each painted the same shade of light blue with a lightning bolt running the length of the sides. "I just don't want any awkwardness considering I'm meeting your ex."

Rainbow gave a small chuckle. "I wouldn't worry about that, if there is one thing that I can say about her, is that she tries to make friends with everyone she meets."

Any further attempt at conversation was cut off by a woman with curly blond hair running up and giving Rainbow a tight hug. "Welcome back, Dynamo! Pinkie is over at her car looking at the radar to see which direction we should be going today."

"Good to know Surprise," Rainbow said after taking a few deep breaths for air, after nearly passing out from how tight the bear hug was, "while I get things sorted how, about you tell Twilight just what you all do as a unit? By the way, tell Spitfire to head northeast back up towards Eden, I got a feeling some storms will be firing up there late afternoon."

Surprise gave her a small salute before grabbing Twilight's hand. "Will do! Now come Twilight and let me introduce you to the rest of the team. Consider yourself an honorary Wonderbolt, which is our team name, due to you being engaged to Dash."

Twilight was shocked, instinct told her to pull away from the stranger, but out of respect for her fiancée she didn't. "How exactly do you know about that? We really haven't told anyone except our coworkers."

Surprise gave an admittedly cute giggle. "Facebook, all of us on the team are still friends with her on there."

Twilight had no response to that, simply going through the motions as Surprise continued to introduce her to the team. Meanwhile, Pinkamena was in the mobile lab center fuming at the radar.

'This dumb piece of junk!" Pinkamena said hitting the shock resistant screen with a wrench. "My dead mother could do a better job keeping an eye on the sky! If I had more funds I'd-"

"Ol' Blindspot still being an ass Pinks?" Rainbow asked cutting her ex's rant short as she came inside. "I swear this thing never worked right, even when we were together."

Pinkamena tossed the wrench to the floor in frustration. "It has gotten worse Dashie, everything seems to be falling apart at the seams. Blindspot is useless, the custom barometer shattered, we are out of spare tires from debris run-ins, and we don't have enough to fund the whole spring."

Rainbow stood there in disbelief, the normally optimistic female she knew was nonexistent. Sensing her former girlfriend's inner turmoil, Rainbow pulled her into a friendly hug, one that did its job. "Damn Pinks, that is rough. I saw Spitfire post on Facebook that things looked bleak, but I had no idea it was this bad."

"What would you have done if you had known the truth sooner huh?" Pinkamena asked while on the offensive, venom in her tone as she made her point. "You just got a great promotion, going to be married soon, and here I am trying to keep my own self together. I'm just your ex, so once I show you what I have been trying for two weeks to give you, you can ride off into the sunset and never hear from me again besides what I put on the web."

Rainbow felt horrible, despite Pinkamena being the one who called off their relationship, she could tell that the weather chaser was depressed and regretting it. "Listen to me, Twilight has a major in atmospheric science, but she also has a PhD in Psychology. I want you to talk to her, you are still a friend to me, Pinks, that is why I never unfriended you. I am concerned about the way you are acting, not even when your mom died did you look this broken and I would hate to hear that you did… something stupid."

"I appreciate the offer but I am fine." Pinkamena said, giving Rainbow a small smile, one that faltered when she realized Rainbow saw right through it. "How about a compromise? We drop it for now and pretend that nothing ever happened, and in exchange I take up your offer if I feel like I need it. So where is she now?"

"I am going to hold you to that deal…" Rainbow's tone was cold, showing that there was going to be no backing out. "As far as Twi is concerned though, Surprise is introducing her to the others."

Pinkamena got up out her seat and made her way outside. "Good, because I want them to see the look on your face when I give you the gift."

Now Rainbow was confused. Pinkamena had only said it was a "surprise" and now she specifically said "gift." With several months left until her birthday, and no other holidays upcoming, she saw no reason for Pinkamena to give her a gift. Once they reached the crew, Pinkamena started to jump onto the trailer, but first she made her way over to Twilight.

"You must be Twilight," Pinkamena said offering her hand. "pleasure to finally meet you in person. Your thesis on how a Serbian high can disrupt the Southern Jet Stream was a very good read, one of the best I have seen in awhile."

"Thanks," Twilight said with a small blush as she shook Pinkamena's hand. "and nice to meet you too. Rainbow wasn't lying when she said that you give a good first impression, were you just saying that about my thesis or did you actually mean it?"

Pinkamena chuckled as she jumped up onto the trailer. "I was serious, now would you and Rainbow please join me up here."

Rainbow and Twilight both did as instructed, jumping up to join her on the trailer. There was a brief moment of pause when Twilight's foot slipped, but luckily she wasn't hurt thanks to Pinkamena helping Rainbow put her on level footing.

"Rainbow Dash and Twilight, on the behalf of the Wonderbolts, we present to you this gift." Pinkamena, with some help from Spitfire, started undoing the industrial strength straps that lay across the tarp. Once they were removed, Pinkamena pulled back the tarp with a flourish, and when she did Rainbow's mouth dropped.

There on the trailer were five containers, each looking like an upside down ice cream cone, and colored with a vibrant array of the color spectrum that made it look like a plane had went supersonic in the middle of a rainbow. On the side, in cyan writing, was the word "MACH" followed by a Roman numeral ranging from "I" to "V". Rainbow jumped up beside Pinkamena, gently rubbing the cone closest to her.

"Consider it your wedding gift from us boss." Pinkamena said with a small smile, a few strands of her hair curling up in joy at Rainbow's reaction to the gift. "I figured that you deserved something truly special, and the others got on board when I presented them with the idea."

"I-I can't believe it…" Rainbow said in awe while carefully inspecting the weather package. "It is exact to the details that I had in my blueprints, where on Earth did you get the fund flow for this?"

"Had a few stocks turn a nice profit, so I sold them to cover the costs." Pinkamena said with a small chuckle, then her face fell into a frown. "Unfortunately, said stocks are now worthless due to a major market crash. That, combined with The Weather Channel reducing our funding to focus more on digital forecasting, is why each of us are looking at the unemployment line in a few months. You don't happen to have any available spots do you?"

"Look Pinks," Rainbow said in a professional tone. "as part of my new position, I have been given the liberty of finding a team of my own to have. As much as I would _love_ to get the old squad fully together, I can't guarantee that since you all will have to go through the standard employment process. Now, my boss Luna said I could have 10 members on my team besides myself, including assistants. There are fifteen of you to only ten spots, so five of you will have to do without."

"What if you convinced your boss to have a thirty person crew?" Thunderlane asked from his spot near Soarin. "Fifteen in the field and fifteen in the office sorting data? We all know the rivalry between TWC and the NWS, so what would be a better way than to get us? Our track record speaks for itself, you know that."

"I will make a phone call and ask," Twilight said as she leaned on Rainbow's shoulder. "it is the least I can do considering Luna is my boss as well and you gave Rainbow her dream come to life. So what exactly is the contraption anyway?"

Rainbow chuckled as she opened the top of the nearest cone, revealing an array of intricate data spheres. "This is something that I named the Rainboom Special. Each sphere has its own set of programs attached that reads everything from barometric pressure, to wind velocity and shear, and everything in between. One special feature is that it tracks the funnel's speed along the cloud layer, instead of along the ground like normal, and records real time changes of the funnel itself."

"Does it have other uses besides tornados?" Twilight asked while picking a sphere, amazed about how so much data could come from such a small package. "Seems like a waste of time and resources if it is only used for one particular weather event."

"That is the beauty of it Twilight," Pinkamena answered while Rainbow focused on calculating the number of spheres based on the inside volume of the cone. "the programs can be changed out based on the job needed. When Dashie first designed the Rainboom Special, she wanted it to be used on NOAA "Hurricane Hunter" missions as a modern replacement of the dropsondes that they currently use. Granted, the dropsondes to their job, but the spheres would give a more sustained map of the eyewall structure and dynamics."

"That's when Pinks suggested we do tests with tornados." Rainbow said joining the conversation, satisfied with the sphere count that she had calculated. "They have a very similar set up to an eyewall, plus we could just drive to a supercell and test it. I just never had time to fully commit to the project and thought of it as another unfulfilled dream. I truly am thankful that you all finished what I started, and look forward to tracking your progress on Facebook and expect a fully detailed report when done."

"That is part of the reason I wanted this face to face, I was wondering if you would take on one last outbreak with us." Pinkamena said in a level tone, the other Wonderbolts looking optimistic as they eagerly waited for Rainbow's answer. "So what do you say, one last ride?"

Rainbow thought about it for a few minutes before sighing. "I would love to but-"

"Rainbow and I would be delighted to take up that offer Pinkamena." Twilight quickly said catching everyone, including Rainbow, off guard. "Besides, I think it is only appropriate that the inventor sees its' creation in action. Me and her can always put off our wedding to a more covient time, and I am curious myself just how a field operation works nowadays since I never have been part of an active outbreak mission. All my career has been in labs and focusing on models, now this will let me see just what the mobile crews do everyday."

"Well it seems like my mind has been made up for me," Rainbow said with a chuckle as she, Twilight, and Pinkamena got off the trailer. "so I guess I'm in. So, for one last time, you all know what to do."

Each of the crew got in a circle and put a hand into the middle of it, making Twilight feel a bit left out until Pinkamena moved enough for her to join in. "I can't do it Pinkamena, I don't even know what to do."

"Trust me Twilight, it is really easy." Pinkamena said as, at Rainbow's urging, Twilight put her hand into the middle with the others. "Dashie says the first bit, then we break the circle by saying out team name at the same time. Got it?"

"I think so…" Twilight said nervously before calming herself with deep, soothing breaths. "Alright, I think I am ready, on your cue Rainbow."

"Ok Twily," Rainbow said before bowing her head and saying a prayer, asking the Creator for safe travels while on their upcoming journey. After saying "Amen", she cleared her throat. "Alright everyone… we're not your average weather folks, we're the mighty storm chasin'..."

" **WONDERBOLTS!** " The whole group, even Twilight, said while throwing their arm up in unison.

"Good job Twi," Rainbow said giving Twilight a kiss after the huddle broke. "I think it is fair to say you are part of the team now."

Twilight giggled at the gesture, feeling energized for the first time in years. "Thank you Rainbow, so what are your orders _boss_?"

Rainbow deadpanned. "First of all, don't call me that, now here are your job assignments. Me and Twilight will be at the front, Pinkamena right behind us, and then the rest of you fall in line behind. Spitfire will handle radar while Soarin drives the mobile lab, Thunderlane and Surprise will handle navigating, Warm Front and Vapor Trail will monitor the frontal zone, and Cloud Kicker and Cloudchaser will look at the sheer outputs. Misty, Fleetfoot, and Bulk I need to keep an eye on the trailer with the Rainboom Specials on it to make sure they stay secure. Finally I need Sassaflash, Sky Stinger, Stormfeather, and Midnight Strike looking at any ground reports that come in. Let's go and keep on Channel 5 on our radios during communications."

The others nodded and got into their respective vehicles, Twilight acting like a kid in a candy store while pouring through all the charts and notes on Rainbow's iPad. Meanwhile, Rainbow started up their truck and pulled back out on the highway heading east back towards Eldorado. "So what's the plan hun?"

Rainbow chuckled as she picked up the walkie, the old school method normally reserved for trucker communication being custom built into the dashboard, along with a cheat sheet of codes. "How about you tell Surprise to find us the quickest way to get on Interstate 10, I got a feeling that this is going to be a heavy hitter for a lot of populated areas."

"Roger that hun." Twilight said with a smile before speaking into the walkie. "Surprise this is Twilight, can you hear me? Over."

"Loud and clear!" Surprise said with her normal enthusiasm. "What is it that you need? Over."

Twilight briefly paused to think about her wording. "Bo-... excuse me, Rainbow says she wants you to find the quickest way to get us on Interstate 10, how soon can you give us a heading? Over."

"Less than five minutes, over and out!" Surprise said as her end of the walkie went to static as she ruffled the maps.

"I can't believe I just did that," Twilight said leaning back into her seat while waiting for Surprise's reply. "I feel that should not have been my job."

Rainbow put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "You're the greenhorn Twily, get used to it, we aren't in the lab anymore and this is the real deal. You know, I normally have a song play at the start of every trip, a bit of a tradition as it were."

Now Twilight was intrigued. "Oh really, what exactly is the song?"

A grin formed on Rainbow's face as she pushed a button on the steering wheel. "Siri, play Thunderstruck by AC/DC in Wonderbolt Radio."

"Playing Thunderstruck." The monotone female voice replied, and as the first notes started playing Rainbow relaxed into her seat, unaware that she was sharing the same thought as Pinkamena.

" _It is just like old times, and it never felt so wonderful…_ "


	3. Altered Course

_-San Antonio, Texas-_

It had been several hours since the Wonderbolts hit the road, and all of them were feeling a bit hungry. It had been Stormfeather's suggestion they stop for lunch, and Rainbow was all too happy to agree, using it as a chance to enjoy some Tex-Mex before stocking up on supplies. The crew pulled into the parking lot of a nationally known restaurant, enjoying the brief moment they had to stretch their legs before being stuffed back into their mobile containment of metal and gas.

"I want there to be a bit of business mixed with this meal," Rainbow said as the group convened around their vehicles before heading inside. "Spitfire, I am going to have you use my iPad to monitor the Doppler while we eat, I don't want there to be any unexpected surprises, especially with so much at stake."

"Got it boss." Spitfire said pulling up the wide range doppler software that Rainbow had installed. It took only several passes of the radar loop for her to notice something, something that deeply troubled her. "Umm, Rainbow I think you might want to see this, take a look at the Gulf."

Rainbow look at the area that Spitfire noticed, and what she saw made her feel ill. Clearly visible was a low pressure area center of circulation, the last few frames showing that it looked like it was intensifying as it made its way northwest. Rainbow then had a very disturbing gut feeling, that what was already a bad situation was about to get ramped up to eleven.

"Gulf low coming up, front pushing down…" Rainbow said shaking her head, not quite believing what she was seeing. "This has a very severe set up possible, and by the looks of it, New Orleans will be the first domino to fall. From there, only God knows..."

"That's not good," Pinkamena said as she took the tablet, using an overlay feature to draw the path of the circulation, and saw it would just miss south of the New Orleans Metropolitan area. "If this actually happens we are looking at another Katrina or Harvey level flooding event in addition to the tornadic activity."

"Whatcha think boss?" Vapor Trail asked while leaning back against the mobile lab. "Skip the meal and we go ahead and get a jump start down the road?"

"No," Rainbow said shaking her head, leading the way toward the front door of the eatery. "This is actually time that we can afford to burn. If we skip the meal, we would pay for it later and will have to stop anyway, and we need to stock up on snacks and essentials for when we stay overnight at hotels."

Pulling out her phone, Rainbow decided this was a good opportunity to call her boss. The list of people she respected and trusted was short, a result of a life filled with constant backstabbing and betrayals, but Director of Operations Luna Dreamdancer topped that list. The tall, navy blue haired women was one who commanded respect, and due to her wide range of meteorological awards she certainly earned her position.

"Why hello Rainbow," Luna said when she answered her worker's call. "Seems you couldn't just leave work alone could you?"

"No ma'm, not when there is millions of lives on the line." Rainbow said with a smile, but it faltered due to feeling that her boss gave a sigh. "Listen, get on the line with NWS New Orleans, there is a small low level circulation in the Gulf heading their way. Normally I wouldn't hit the panic button on such a weak low, but due to the front swinging down this is going to get ugly."

Luna's eyes widened, fingers speed typing as she pulled up the radar, confirming Rainbow's report. "I see what you mean, and I will push through an Invest request to NOAA's Hurricane Hunter squad. Twilight explained to me what your plan is, and I have to tell you that I do not agree with you diving into this head first."

"Mrs. Dreamdancer I know that you are not happy at me about this." Rainbow abruptly said, making Luna's breathing be the only thing that was on the other end of the line. "However, I am going to try and deploy one of the Specials into one of the tornadoes, and we both know I give us that best opportunity."

"You're right," Luna conceded as she started working on the Invest request form. "But I expect you or Twilight to remain in constant communication with me every few hours, got it?"

"Crystal clear." Rainbow said as the group sat down at their table. "Now if you excuse me, we're all about to eat lunch so I got to run. Before I go, have you given any thought to the Wonderbolt transfer we came up with?"

Luna sighed, knowing that arguing with Rainbow was a very bad idea, the hotshot being the only one who matched her own level of stubbornness. "You'll have an answer by the end of the week, have to check and see if we have the necessary funding to allow it."

"Thanks boss, I will call back with an update at 8pm unless we are tracking a supercell. Rainbow out." Rainbow then hung up, the rest of crew at the table leaning towards her. "Well, my boss said that she is going to look into the funding for you guys, we just have to wait and see. For now, I think we should enjoy this meal, because this is just the calm before the storm."

They nodded and ate their meal, letting Twilight give some more background as to how she grew up and how she had got interested in her job. Each of them listened in earnest, occasionally asking a question or two that their newest member was delighted to answer. After paying for the meal and heading to the local Walmart, they split up into groups to get their supplies faster, Rainbow purposely setting Twilight and Pinkamena together as she stayed behind to work on the mobile Doppler.

"So…" Twilight said as she and Pinkamena walked down the snack aisle. "How are you handling everything going on?"

"It is an adjustment," Pinkamena said grabbing some salt and vinegar chips, making Twilight's mouth water. "But I am glad that I made the choice I did. Ever since me and Dashie formed the team, I always did was required for their benefit, if it means working with Dashie again then so be it."

"Pinkamena, I know Rainbow told you I am also a psychologist." Twilight's words caused Pinkamena to stop dead in her tracks. "That being said I know that you still love her, just as I do."

"There is a difference between loving someone, and missing someone's company." Pinkamena's tone was flatter than normal, showing she really didn't want to be talking about this topic. "I broke up with her, and we both moved on. Don't do what I did Twilight, don't make the same mistake I did, it is something that I regret to this day."

"Denial and bargaining, that shows you are lying to yourself." Twilight said while trying to choose between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Pinkamena being the tiebreaker by putting both in with some RC for good measure. "Look, we both love her, and I don't want that fact to get between us or potentially ruin our friendship."

"You don't have to worry about that, as far as I'm concerned she's yours. Yes, it is great to be around her and work with her again, but that is as far as it will go. She deserves better than me, and from what I have seen you definitely fill that roll." Pinkamena then stopped again, this time finding a less crowded area and leaning back against the wall. "I have been depressed Twilight… and Dashie doesn't need her heart broken twice."

"I promise you that she won't," Twilight said giving Pinkamena a hug, one that the now-sobbing woman gladly returned in earnest. "When we settle down for the night I will give you my phone number, that way you can have a means to reach me even if I am not with you. It will be my personal phone, not the one I use for business, so you won't have to worry about me missing a call unless I'm with a client."

"Thank you," Pinkamena said as she dried up her tears, already feeling better about herself. "I guess I just needed to get that off my chest. I feel better already than before we talked."

"That's good," Twilight said smiling. "It's the best part about what I do, I enjoy helping others. Therapy isn't for everyone, and I have had my fair share of less than satisfied customers, but I have an 89% success rate to back me up."

"Is that so…" Pinkamena said pulling back a bit, looking into Twilight's eyes but remaining in the hug. "Well, you can add me to that stat, and now it is time I pay you."

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but was effectively silenced by Pinkamena's lips meeting her's, sealing in a deep French kiss. Twilight tried to muffle a protest, but soon she found herself enjoying the special payment, going as far as poking Pinkamena's tongue with her own. Fireworks went off inside of Twilight's mind as Pinkamena pulled away, leaving a thin trail of saliva connecting them.

"Payment accepted," Twilight said ignoring the few wolf whistles behind her, also ignoring some people's looks of disgust, she was a lesbian and damn proud of it. "But you do know the next time Rainbow kisses me she will taste you right?"

"That was the idea Twily," Pinkamena said with a giggle and a boop, a small sway in her hips as they made their way towards the check-out, the cart being hard to push from all the weight. "I can't wait to see her reaction when she realizes it."

Twilight blushed, not hearing that nickname since her brother called her that when she was little. "It will be extra special for sure, and I think I know of a way to surprise her even more Pinkamena."

"What you got in mind?" Pinkamena was interested what Twilight has in store. Her kiss, which was not meant to be lewd, was amplified by Twilight opening her mouth at the wrong time. "I'm all ears, but you do know that if you had waited to open your mouth I was just going to give you a quick, friendly kiss right?"

"Oh…" Twilight's mental processes derailed, the engine exploding on contact, realizing she had made the situation awkward for herself and now had to face the music. "Well, there is nothing we can do about that now is there? Anyways, we will have to wait until we stop at the hotel for me to show you."

Now it was Pinkamena's turn to blush, her cheeks turning the same color as her hair as she caught onto Twilight's meaning. "You sure that Rainbow will be ok with this though? I mean, you two are engaged to be married and I'm the ex that cut her loose, and you can call me Pinkie by the way."

Twilight wisely waited until they were in the parking lot before answering, not wanting to deal with anymore awkwardness. "I think that will work the best Pinkie, I love Rainbow, and you and her still love each other. This way, you two can still have each other and no one's heart will be broken."

Pinkie gave Twilight a smirk. "You certainly seemed to enjoy that show in there, I know a lot more than that Twily, so mentally prepare for your own plan. Love conquers all right?"

"And life finds a way." Twilight said smiling, just then Rainbow came up to both of them.

"You two were in there so long, I was starting to think you bought out the store. Glad my pairing system worked, because you look much happier Pinks, talked to Twilight?"

"Yes I did," Pinkamena giggled, most of her hair having flat curls, but some were sticking up. She didn't say a word as Rainbow and Twilight kissed, the multicolored-haired girl's eyes snapped open, cutting over and staring in shock. "Did you manage to fix the Doppler in any way?"

"Yes I did," Rainbow said after breaking her kiss, both her and Twilight loving the mixed tastes in both their mouths. "Went through and lubricated the gears, so it is functioning fine… for now."

"That won't be the last thing you lubricate today." Twilight said with hunger in her eyes, making all three women blush and most of the Wonderbolts stare with their jaws dropped. "Now come on, we're burning daylight."

Rainbow remained frozen in place, caught off guard by the sudden twist in not only events, but also her relationship. Twilight never was one to look at other women, she remained steadfast in believing that Rainbow was the only one for her, but Pinkamena was a known kisser when someone cheered her up.

Everything clicked, Rainbow figuring that Twilight had helped Pinkamena, so Pinkamena returned with a kiss. Twilight having her mouth open, probably to object a possible payment, and that lead to Pinkamena accidentally French kissing Twilight. She made a note to ask for full details from Twilight later, but the only thing on her mind, as the sound of Twilight turning on the truck roared behind her, was that she was in for a long day and longer night.


End file.
